Quite right!

The Spectator

Welcome to Quite right!, the podcast from The Spectator that searches for sanity and common sense in a world which increasingly seems devoid of both. Each week, join Michael Gove, editor of The Spectator, and Madeline Grant, assistant editor of The Spectator, for a mixture of politics, culture and mischief as they unpack the stories that most piqued their interest, amusement or exasperation.

For more podcasts from The Spectator: spectator.co.uk/podcasts

Subscribe to The Spectator: spectator.co.uk/subscribe

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

76 episodes
Updated July 28

Episodes76

Newest first

February 6 · 25 min
Q&A: Is Rishi Sunak English – or British?
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright. In this week’s Q&A, Michael and Maddie unpack the controversy over whether Rishi Sunak is English or British – and why a debate about national identity has become so politically charged. Is Englishness a civic identity, an ethnic one, or something more elusive? And why has the Labour party increasingly reached for accusations of racism when the question is raised at all? Also this week: are claims that Britain is drifting towards civil unrest alarmist scaremongering – or a warning we should take seriously? And finally, they reflect on the earliest political moments that shaped them – from Margaret Thatcher and the Falklands to Tony Blair, Princess Diana, and the politics of the countryside. Produced by Oscar Edmondson Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 4 · 47 min
Mandelson scandal: ‘from tawdry friendship to something sinister’
This week: Michael and Maddie examine the fallout from the Epstein files and ask how a story of questionable judgment became a far more serious test of trust at the top of British politics. As new revelations emerge about Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, has a tawdry association escalated into a question of the national interest? And what does the affair reveal about Keir Starmer’s judgment – and the risks of relying on political experience over proper scrutiny? Then: the growing generational backlash over student loans. With graduate repayment thresholds frozen and interest rates soaring, are younger voters being systematically squeezed to prop up an unsustainable system? Finally: the countryside culture war. From Defra’s diversity targets to mounting regulation of rural life, Michael and Maddie ask whether policymakers fundamentally misunderstand the countryside – and whether independence, not prejudice, is what really makes it a target. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 30 · 27 min
Q&A: Why Rwanda failed – and were the Tories serious about migration?
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright. In this week’s Q&A: Michael and Maddie tackle Labour’s uneasy majority and ask why a government with a 174-seat majority already looks so skittish. Are backbench rebellions a sign of weakness – or a rational response from MPs who expect to be out in one term? Does Keir Starmer lack the political instincts needed to hold such a sprawling parliamentary party together? Also this week: could the Rwanda scheme ever have saved the Conservatives? Michael lifts the lid on why the plan stalled – from internal resistance within the state to the limits of last-minute delivery – and explains why even a symbolic flight would not have reversed Tory defeat. And as faith in multilateral institutions frays, they ask whether the UN still serves a meaningful purpose, or whether international law has acquired an undeserved air of moral infallibility. Produced by Oscar Edmondson Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 28 · 47 min
Is it nearly over for Keir Starmer? – and Reform's next defector revealed
This week: Michael and Maddie ask whether Keir Starmer’s grip on the Labour party is beginning to slip. After the party machine moved to block Andy Burnham from returning to Westminster, is Starmer governing from a position of strength – or fear? Does the decision expose a deeper crisis of authority at the top of the Labour party, and are we entering the early stages of a succession battle over who comes next? Then: Suella Braverman’s long-anticipated defection to Reform UK. Was her exit inevitable, and what does it mean for the balance of forces on the right? As Reform continues to lure Conservative figures across, is it consolidating as a serious insurgent party – or accelerating a destructive fragmentation that could leave the Conservative party locked out of power for a generation? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 23 · 33 min
Debate: is Britain really broken?
On this week’s Q&A: Michael and Maddie ask the question dividing the British right: is Britain really broken? As ‘Broken Britain’ rhetoric surges on the right, they debate whether it clarifies the country’s problems or corrodes national confidence. Should we trust those who stand to benefit from a declinist narrative? And is Nigel Farage too much of an English nationalist and nostalgist? Also this week: from national decline to family drama. Why has the Brooklyn Beckham fallout gripped the country, and what does it reveal about celebrity, commodified family life and the price of fame? Is this a modern King Lear – or just an overgrown child who needs to grow up? To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 21 · 44 min
The death of the special relationship – and was Jenrick right to leave the Tories?
This week: Michael and Maddie ask whether the so-called special relationship between Britain and the United States has finally reached breaking point. As Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland and his reversal on the Chagos Islands unsettle allies, has the British right begun to turn decisively against him? Was the special relationship ever more than a comforting myth – and what does a more erratic, transactional America mean for Britain’s security, sovereignty and strategic future? Then: Robert Jenrick’s dramatic defection to Reform UK. Was his exit from the Conservatives a naked career move, or a genuine ideological break forged by failure on migration and borders? And does his defection strengthen Reform’s claim to be a serious insurgent force – or expose the growing risk of a destructive civil war on the right that ultimately benefits Keir Starmer? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 16 · 28 min
Q&A: Rory Stewart vs Dominic Cummings – the problem with political prophets
This week: Michael and Maddie examine the rise of the Green party and ask whether it represents a passing protest vote or a genuine realignment on the British left. As Labour’s support continues to leak away and figures once loyal to Jeremy Corbyn drift towards the Greens, are Keir Starmer’s U-turns finally catching up with him – and how far can a ‘hipster–hobbit alliance’ really go? Then: the row between Rory Stewart and Dominic Cummings, after claims about overseas students and radicalisation in Britain were dismissed – only to be vindicated. What does the episode reveal about political forecasting, expert class overconfidence, and why some of Westminster’s most celebrated commentators keep getting the future wrong? And finally: why is Labour going after the pub? Michael and Maddie dissect the government’s botched approach to business rates, drink-driving policy and rural life – and ask whether spreadsheet socialism and petty authoritarianism are quietly crushing what remains of Merrie England. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 14 · 50 min
Why Nadhim Zahawi (and Reform) are making a mistake
This week on Quite right!, Michael and Maddie examine Nadhim Zahawi’s dramatic defection to Reform UK and ask whether it strengthens the party’s insurgent credentials or exposes a deeper strategic mistake. Is Reform becoming a genuine outsider movement, or simply a refuge for disaffected Tories? And what does the pattern of Boris-era defections reveal about credibility, competence and the challenge of turning populist energy into a governing force? Then, Iran: mass protests against the regime have erupted onto the streets of Tehran and beyond. Are these demonstrations the prelude to real regime change – or another brutal crackdown waiting to happen? And what role should the West, and the United States in particular, play as the situation escalates? And finally: as MPs call for X to be banned in the UK over the conduct of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok, Michael and Maddie ask whether this is a necessary intervention to protect the vulnerable – or another bout of performative pearl-clutching that misses the far bigger risks posed by artificial intelligence. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 9 · 29 min
Q&A: A Labour rebellion is coming – can Starmer survive?
This week: Michael and Maddie look ahead to a turbulent political year, asking who will rise, who will fall – and whether Keir Starmer can survive the mounting unrest within his own parliamentary party. With Labour backbenchers showing an increasing willingness to defy the leadership, is a full-blown rebellion inevitable? They also discuss the government’s controversial decision to welcome Alaa Abdel-Fattah back to Britain, and ask what the episode reveals about two-tier politics, herd mentality in Westminster, and a Prime Minister more comfortable in the role of human rights lawyer than national leader. And finally: should Britain bring back national service? Michael makes the case for a far tougher, more hard-edged approach to national resilience – while Maddie questions whether conscription would deepen an already broken generational contract. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 7 · 50 min
Venezuela vs Chagos: what Britain can learn from America’s ‘audacity’
This week: Michael and Maddie dissect Donald Trump’s audacious raid on Venezuela and ask what it reveals about power, national interest and the unravelling of the rules-based order. Was America acting like a rogue state – or simply doing what states do when their interests are at stake? And could Britain learn a thing or two from how they conduct their foreign policy, specifically with regard to the Chagos Islands? Then, closer to home, they unpack the scandal surrounding West Midlands Police and the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. Who really made the call – and what does it tell us about two-tier policing and the erosion of equal justice? And finally: are weight-loss jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy quietly reshaping society – and what will happen when the prices drop later this year? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 1 · 41 min
Part two | Dominic Cummings: what I told Farage & why the system will ‘do anything’ to stop him
This is the second of a two-part discussion with Dominic Cummings, in which he reflects on his time in government – what he got right and what he regrets – and what he believes must change for the country to thrive. In part two, Dominic diagnoses the ‘pre-revolutionary’ mood of British politics, marked by voter rage, economic stagnation and institutional failure. He dismisses government promises on immigration as ‘total nonsense’, attacks the political class’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine, and delivers a sobering account of why the Conservative Party is ‘completely dead’. Dominic also assesses the prospects of Reform and Nigel Farage, warns of an increasingly aggressive establishment response to outsider movements, and weighs in on whether Michael would have made a good prime minister. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 30, 2025 · 47 min
Part one | ‘Boris didn’t care!’: Dominic Cummings on lawfare, lockdowns & the broken British state
In this special two-part interview, Michael and Maddie are joined by Dominic Cummings. After starting his political career at the Department of Education, Dominic is best known as the campaign director of Vote Leave, the chief adviser in Downing Street during Boris Johnson’s premiership, and one of the most influential strategists of modern times. Whether you consider him a visionary reformer or (as David Cameron once said) a ‘career psychopath’, his ideas – on government, technology, the blob, education and the future of the right – continue to provoke debate. In part one, Dominic diagnoses Britain’s institutional decline and takes us inside Whitehall’s ‘heart of darkness’. He explains that ministers have been stripped of real power by lawyers and the Cabinet Office, and how the ‘madness’ of the Human Rights Act has produced chilling outcomes for defence and counter-terrorism. He reflects on the reforms launched after the Conservatives’ 2019 election victory and why they were ultimately abandoned, criticises Boris Johnson’s failure to pursue the mandate he was given, and revisits the government’s handling of Covid. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 19, 2025 · 27 min
Q&A: How has being adopted impacted your politics?
Submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie at spectator.co.uk/quiteright. This week on Quite right! Q&A: is demography destiny? With Britain’s birth rate falling, Michael Maddie Grant discuss whether the country is quietly drifting towards decline – and whether immigration, pro-natal policy or something more radical is the answer. Is importing labour a short-term fix that stores up long-term problems? And can advanced economies really persuade families to have more children? Then: adoption, identity and love. Michael reflects candidly on being adopted, how it shaped his sense of responsibility and gratitude, and why he believes the system too often lets the perfect become the enemy of the good. And finally, a festive question: favourite Christmas carols and songs. From ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ to Wham!, via Bowie, Lennon and some truly unforgivable seasonal dirges, Michael and Maddie reveal their tastes – and their intolerance for musical heresy. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 17, 2025 · 49 min
Bondi attack: understanding Islamism & the causes of anti-Semitism
Michael Gove and Madeline Grant confront the horror of the Bondi Beach massacre and ask why anti-Semitic violence now provokes despair rather than shock. As Jewish communities are once again targeted on holy days, they examine the roots of Islamist ideology and the failure of political leaders to name it. Why has anti-Semitism metastasised across the radical left, the Islamist world, and the far right – and why does the West seem so reluctant to grapple with its causes? Then, on the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Michael and Maddie ask why Austen is endlessly repurposed, politicised and rewritten by modern adaptors? Was she an abolitionist, a moralist, or something far subtler – and why do her novels continue to resist ideological shoehorning two centuries on? And finally: what makes the perfect whodunit? From Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers to Midsomer Murders and modern television crime, the pair explore puzzles, red herrings, atmosphere – and why readers feel cheated when justice doesn’t quite add up. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 12, 2025 · 32 min
Q&A: Should Ukraine join the Commonwealth?
Submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie at spectator.co.uk/quiteright. This week on Quite right! Q&A: should Britain reinvent the Commonwealth – and should Ukraine be invited to join? Is the Commonwealth an embarrassing relic… or an untapped strategic asset? Then: what if Jeremy Corbyn had actually won in 2019? Maddie and Michael sketch the counterfactual Britain – from a Jezza-led lockdown to vaccine chaos, union-driven school closures and a very different Brexit. Plus: the greatest artwork of the 21st century. Michael champions a modern choral masterpiece, Maddie defends The Lord of the Rings as the true Gesamtkunstwerk, and both confess their musical shortcomings (including Michael’s rogue childhood instrument). Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 10, 2025 · 45 min
Has Reform peaked? – racism allegations & Farage's toughest week yet
After a summer in which Nigel Farage seemed to bend the news cycle to his will, Michael and Maddie ask whether the party’s momentum is slipping. Do the allegations dredged up from Farage’s schooldays mark a decisive turning point – or, perversely, strengthen his outsider appeal? And with questions over Reform’s election spending, defections from the Conservatives, and the small matter of finding 500 people to staff a government, is the insurgent right entering its moment of vulnerability? Then: two stories that lay bare a crisis in women’s healthcare. Baroness Amos’s damning interim review of maternity services and the astonishing employment tribunal ruling in the Sandy Peggie case raise the same question – why does the system still fail women at their most vulnerable? And finally: Christmas television takes a surreal turn. Meghan Markle returns with a holiday special, while Liz Truss launches her own American-style politics show. Has Meghan now crossed fully into performance art – and is Liz pioneering the world’s first nostalgia-politics monologue? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to spectator.co.uk/quiteright. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 5, 2025 · 40 min
Q&A: Lockdown ‘sins’ & where Conservatism went wrong
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to spectator.co.uk/quiteright. This week on Quite right! Q&A: was lockdown the right call – and what did Britain get catastrophically wrong? Michael and Maddie unravel the ‘sins’ of the Covid era, from criminalising everyday behaviour to the rise of snitch culture. Did Sweden show there was a better way? Then: is conservatism suffering from a crisis of confidence? Michael reflects on 14 years of Tory drift, why the party ‘talked right but governed left’, and how Blairism, wokery and cultural blindspots reshaped British politics. Plus: the odd new tone of modern political interviews – from mawkish breakfast-TV hectoring to the emotional manipulation of callers named Doreen – and why some MPs secretly love being skewered in the sketch. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 3, 2025 · 47 min
Why Rachel Reeves should go & would Corbyn be a better prime minister?
This week: Rachel Reeves reels as Labour’s Budget unravels – and a far-left Life of Brian sequel plays out in Liverpool. After a bruising seven days for the Chancellor, Michael and Maddie ask whether Reeves’s position is now beyond repair. Did Keir Starmer’s bizarre nursery press conference steady the ship – or simply confirm that the government is panicking? And is the resignation of the OBR chair a shield for Reeves – or a damning contrast with her refusal to budge? Then: the inaugural conference of Your Party delivers pure comic gold. As Zarah Sultana’s collective-leadership utopians clash with Corbynite diehards and Islamist independents, Michael explains why the far left’s civil war matters more than Westminster thinks. Could independents erode Labour’s urban base? And with Jeremy Corbyn now looking like the centrist dad of the movement, what does this chaos tell us about the future of the British left? And finally: Christmas is coming. Maddie and Michael share their rules for 'sound' gift-giving and give their book recommendations. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to spectator.co.uk/quiteright Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 26, 2025 · 47 min
The 'wickedness' of Labour's gender war
This week: After leaked EHRC guidance threw Labour’s position on biological sex into disarray, Michael and Maddie ask whether Bridget Phillipson is deliberately delaying clarity on the law – and why Wes Streeting appears to be retreating from his once ‘gender-critical’ stance. Is Labour quietly preparing to water down long-awaited guidance? And has the return of puberty-blocker trials pushed the culture war back to square one? Then: Shabana Mahmood unveils her first major moves as Home Secretary. But as the Labour left cries foul and legal challenges loom, Michael and Maddie assess whether her plans will really bring order to the asylum system – or whether Labour’s attachment to ‘process over principle’ will scupper the reforms before they bite. Is Mahmood the Iron Lady Labour never expected? Or is this simply Starmerism in its purest form: government by quango, review and delay? And finally: Christmas arrives early… far too early. Michael sets out the case for a ‘dry Advent and festive January’, while Maddie laments Black Friday brawls and the loss of an older, saner rhythm to the year. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiteright Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 21, 2025 · 36 min
Q&A: Is it time to abolish the Treasury?
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiteright This week on Quite right! Q&A: Is the Treasury still fit for purpose – or has ‘Treasury brain’ taken over Whitehall? Michael and Maddie dig into the culture and power of Britain’s most influential department, from the Oxbridge-heavy ‘Treasury boys’ to a ‘visionless’ Chancellor. Then: after Michael’s suggestion that Piers Morgan should be the next director-general of the BBC – why, in his view, could cnly a disruptive outsider could shake the organisation out of its complacency. Plus: the rise of ‘Mar-a-Lago face’ in US conservative politics, and whether Britain has its own aesthetic quirks – from Ozempic-thinned MPs to the enduring Labour ‘power bob’. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.